Cutting and assembling machine



SePt- 7, 1937. v c. N. JACOBS 24,091,990

- CUTTING AND-ASSEMBLIG MACHINE Filed July 5, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 i www y Sept. 7, 1,937. c. N. JACOBS .2,09L990 Y,

CUTTING AND ASSEMBLING MACHINE j/fw I y U/L//m MJL/65' Patented Sept. 7', 19137 UNH" STATES PA'EENT FFHQE CUTTING ANDA ASSEMBLING MACHINE Application July 5, 1934, Serial No. 733,745

l Claims.

This invention relates to a cutting and assembling machine particularly designed for the production and assembly of pieces of impregnated fabric designed to be compressed into gear or pulley blanks.

In my application Ser. No; 698,560, filed November 18, 1933, there is described a non-metallic gear, pulley or the like formed by compression of fabric impregnated with a'binder. The gear or pulley is formed by compression in a heated mold of properly assembled pieces of fibrous textile fabric such as duck, convas, or the like, impregf nated with a binder, for example, a thermoplastic resin or a. thermosetting resin, for example, a phenol-formaldehyde resin, which will flow and take form and become insoluble and infusible under the action of heat and pressure. The metallic gear or pulley may be formed entirely of` this impregnated fabric, or may include a metallic hub. The application just referred to relates to a gear or pulley vor the like made by means of a particularly advantageous assembly of impregnated fabric pieces. Specifically in accordance with said invention, separate fabric pieces make up the rim Vand intermediate portions of the blanks.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a mechanism which automatically cuts and assembles the pieces of impregnated fabric into a mold in which they are to be compressed.

Specific objects relating particularly to details of the invention will be apparent from the following description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a preferred form of a mechanism yin accordance with the invention, certain of the parts being shown in section `to better illustrate details of construction;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of a finished blank made by the machine having indicated .in dotted lines the relationships of the various elements involved in the assembly;

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the machine;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the mold illustrating its component parts;

Fig. 5 is a perspective sectional view showing a portion of the turret for carrying the fabric pieces;

Fig. 6 is a sectional View of the same showing a piece held therein;

jFig. 7 is a diagrammatic plan view showing the modied arrangement of a machine for lassemblingcertain parts enteringinto the formation of the blank;

f Fig. 8 is a View showing the fabric strip which is cut as indicated; and

Fig. 9 shows a modified form of die and, dia` gralnmatically, the type of cutting effected thereby.

The machine comprises a frame 2 which supports the Various operating lparts including a motor 4 which supplies the power for driving all of the mechanism. The motor 4 drives, through suitable reduction gearing, a main shaft 5 through 10 which motions are transmitted to the various parts.

The shaft 6 carries a cam 8 which acts upon a roller mounted on a push-rod l0 which is urged downwardly by the action of a spring I2 and is 15 pivoted at its upper end to an arm I4 which carries a pawl i6 spring-pressed into engagement with the teeth of a ratchet Wheel I8. The ratchet wheel l 8 is connected to the shaft of a lower roller E@ towards which there is pressed a cooperating upper roller 22 by means of springs 24 whose tensions are adjustable by screws 26. The impregnated fabric from which the pieces are to be cut is indicated at 28 and passes from a supply reel 30 over a guiding roller 32 and thence between 25 the feeding rollers 2U and 22. By reason of the pressure exerted by the springs 24, a positive drive of the material is effected so that upon each stroke of the push-rod l!) corresponding to a rotation of the main shaft 6, a definite feed is 30 imparted to the fabric strip.

Driven from the main shaft 6 by a chain 34 trained over suitable sprockets is a 'transverse upper shaft 36. This shaft carries an eccentric surrounded by a strap 38 which is pivoted to the 35 vertically moving guided cross-head 40, which at its lower end is provided with a suitable punch 42 arranged to enter a die 43 formed in a plate over which the fabric strip 23 passes. Upon each reciprocation of the punch 42, a section of the 40 fabric is out from the strip and forced into one of the openings 44 of corresponding shape formed in inserts in a turret 46. The openings 44 are of the same form as the die openings 43. The punch 42 has a downward stroke of such extent as to 45 force the cut piece into an opening 44 to a position where it is held by the seriesv of inward projections 48 provided in each, turret opening. These projections 48 insure that the cut sections are not dropped by the turret until they are 50 forcibly ejected by a subsequent event in the operation of the machine. The machine i1lustrated in Figs.k 1 and 3 is adapted to cut the sections for the formation of the rim portion of the blank. These sections have a shape such as fio indicated by the openings i4 in Fig. 3. These rim sections are designated 58.

The turret iii has imparted thereto a quarter revolution in each revolution of the main shaft 6. To maintain it in proper position at the end of each quarter revolution, its periphery is provided with depressions 52 adapted to receive a springpressed roller 54 which acts as a yielding detent holding the turret in its proper position except when it is forcibly turned by the advancing mechanism. A friction pad 55 prevents overrun of the turret.

The advancing mechanism comprises a clutch member 58 having four teeth cooperating with a clutch member 58 which also has four teeth, there being between the turret and the iirst clutch member a splined connection, the clutch member being urged downwardly by a suitable spring, not shown. A link 68 is pivoted toa lateral extension of the lower clutch member and is connected to a crank 52 mounted on a vertical shaft which is driven at a one to one ratio through bevel gears 84 from the main shaft 6. The arrangement is such that upon each revolution of the crank E2 a quarter revolution of the turret occurs, the turret being brought to rest at the end of the quarter revolution by the detent 54. At each of such times one of the openings dii is located immediately beneath the die -opening 63.

Since the turret is provided with four openings i65- equally spaced, whenever it is brought to rest an opening 4d will be located diametrically opposite the one which is in alignment with the die 48. Arranged immediately above this last opening, there is a plunger member B6 having the general shape of the openings 44 but of smaller Size and adapted to force downwardly out of an opening M the piece of impregnated fabric carried thereby. The member 68 is carried by a rod 58 mounted for vertical reciprocation in the frame on which is located a cross-head 'i8 which has a strong frictional engagement with the rod 58. This cross-head 'iii is provided with pins engaged by the bifurcated ends of a double lever 'i2 which is rocked about its pivot 'l5 by the action of a cam 'M on the shaft 38 against the action of a spring '58. By reason of the frictional engagement between the cross-head lil and the rod 88, if the downward movement of the rod 58 is definitely arrested, the cross-head may slide relatively to the rod. As a result allowance is made for the accumulation of fabric pieces in the mold as will be more evident hereafter.

A plate 88 is provided for the reception of the p-arts constituting the mold in which the blank is formed by compression of assembled fabric elements. This mold comprises an annular outer member 82 and a bottom member 84. If the blank is vto be'provided with a metallic hub liner, this liner is located within the mold as indicated at 86. The liner is in the form of a sleeve the outer surface of which is roughened so that it will bind more securely with the fibrous portions of the blank. A pin member, indicated at S8 and of the form' shown, forms a central lining element for thernold insuring, as will be clear hereafter, the proper location of the intermediate fabric elements.

The peripheral fabric elements are first located in the mold. To insure that they take their proper positions, the central part of the mold is provided with a filler indicated at 88 which Y leaves only a limited annular space for the reception of the elements 5I), this annular space having a thickness approximately corresponding to the rim width of the nished blank. The mold parts are centrally located by the use of elements 961i receivable within openings 92 in the plate 8|) and provided with adjusting screws 98 adapted to engage and centrally locate the mold. Various openings may be provided in accordance with the predetermined pattern so that molds of different sizes may be accommodated. Suitable adjustment is also made of the head of the machine carrying the push-rod 56.

To insure the central location of the mold, there is provided a pin 98 which extends through the shaft |88 secured to the plate 88 and is urged upwardly by a spring |84 acting upon a collar carried by the pin. A lower extension |88 of the pin carries av disc |82 which may be engaged by the foot of the operator to bring the pin below the top surface of the plate 88 so `as to withdraw it from the opening in the pin member 88. By reason of this arrangement, the operator may slide the assembled mold parts about the plate 88 until the alignment of the pin 88 with the opening in the pinv 88 is felt. The pin 98 may then be released for upward movement and will thereafter maintain the mold centrally located with respect to the axis of the table 88. To maintain the parts tight and impart sufcient friction to prevent overrun, a spring |88 urges the shaft |88 downwardly to cause the hub of the plate 88 to tightly engage its bearing. Secured to the shaft |88 is a ratchet H0 which is adapted to be engaged by a pawl ||2 pivoted upon an arm. lill to which rocking movements are imparted by a link ||6 connected at ||8 to a radially adjustable block carried suitably by a disc |28 which is driven through gearing |22 from the vertical shaft to which reference has heretofore been made. By adjustment of the throw of the link I8 the amount of movement imparted to the mold upon each revolution of the main shaft may be adjusted. The movement is pref--y erably such that the successive fabric elements located in the mold overlap to some extent as indicated in Fig. 3 and as more fully described in my prior application.

To insure operation without constant supervision by an attendant, there is provided a means for automatically stopping the machine after a predetermined number of fabric elements have been delivered to the mold. VThis includes a mechanism driven through a chain |24 from the main shaft, the mechanism including a rotatable screw E28 with which there engages a half-nut |28 guided for sliding movement in the direction of the axis of the screw by a fixed rod |30. An extension of this halfnut indicated at |32 is adapted to engage a switch button |34 arranged to break the circuit through the motor 4 and thus stop the operation. By the initial location of the half-nut |28 at a proper position along the` screw |28, the half -nut will be moved slowly towards the button |34, engaging it and stopping the machine after a predetermined number of revolutions of the screw |28 corresponding to the delivery of a predetermined number of fabricelements to the mold.

In the operation of the machine heretofore described, the elements are cut from the strip 28 located within the openings of the turret 46. At the end of the second subsequent movement of the turret each cut element is located in a posi'- tion above the annular portion of the mold between the rim 82 and the ller 90 and beneath the plunger 68. In the next operation of the machine, the element is forced downwardly into the mold by the action of the plunger. As the elements accumulate in the mold, yielding occurs at l so that while the elements are forcibly located in position, there is no danger of breakage or of the application ci excessive pressure which might resultvin a p-remature assembly of the elements due tol the flowing of the thermoplastic binder. Following the location of each of the elements iii-position, a rotational movement is imparted to the mold producing the offset of the elements referred to above. r "After suicient of the elements have been located within the mold and the machine has beenr brought to rest, the mold is removed and ring |36 is located upon the pile of assembled elements and the central iller 90 taken out. stage the mold will be in the condition illusv trated in Fig. 4, ready for the reception of the elements which are adapted to form the portion of the blank between the hub and the rim.

Toaccomplish the assembly of the intermediate elements there isA utilized a machine which is almost identical with the one heretofore described except in the arrangement of the turret and the fact that there are provided duplicate mold receiving tables. This mechanism is illustrated in Fig. '7, in which there are not duplicated those elements which are common to both of the cutting and assembling devices. A turret |38 is provided in this last machine w ich carries inserts having openings |50 therein shaped to conform with the elements which, by assembly, form the intermediate portions of the blanks. An advantagecus arrangement involves the provision of two of these openings which receive pieces from the strip of material simultaneously in a single cutting action of a punch member. By the arrangement of the openings as illustrated in Fig. 7, there is no waste of material, cuts of the strip |16 being made as shown in Fig. 8. It will be y obvious that the edgesr resulting from one cutting line up with the edges resulting from a subsequent cutting to insure a complete use of the strip. Instead of having a quarter revolution imparted to it in each operation of the machine, the turret |38 has a third of a revolution. It is brought to rest in proper positions by the action of a spring-pressed detent M which enters shallow depressions M2 in the` periphery of the turret. Two mold receiving plates M5 and |48 are provided corresponding to the single plate 8|) of the previous modification. On these plates, the molds are located in the same fashion as here- 55 tofore described. For clarity, the molds are omitted from Fig. 7. 'I'he two plates |46 and |48 are geared to rotate together but in opposite directions by the provision of an intermediate idler |59 meshing with gears carried by the 60 shafts ofthe two plates. On the shaft of the :plate |46 there is provided a ratchet |58 arranged to be engaged by a pawl |56 carried by an arm which is reciprocated through a link secured to a radially adjustable crank pin in a crank disc 65 |54. The disc is driven by suitable gearing from a vertical shaft |52 which is driven from a main shaft corresponding to 5 Figs. l and 2. The shaft |52 also drivesI a crank |60 to which is secured a rack |62 meshing with ma pinion |53 and held in proper mesh by means of a guiding sleeve member' pivoted concentrically with the pinion 63, upon the shaft of the turret |38 and carries a pawl Iiill which meshes with a ratchet |66 se- 5 cured to the turret. By reason of the connections of the modification of The pinion 53 is journalled just described, it will be seen that during the operation of the machine 120 degree rotational steps are imparted to the turret I 38 and at the same time the molds are action of the crank disc |54. are such as to again produce an overlapping arrangement of the impregnated fabric elements. Pushers corresponding to 66 are provided in duplicate in this form of the machine and are adapted to press from the openings Mii the fabric elements into the intermediate portions of the molds. It may be pointed out that the two machines correspond in such fashion that approximately twicethe number of intermediate elements'are' required in each with the number of rim elements. Consequently, two molds may be filled with rim elements in about the same time as one mold is lled with intermediate elements, which are designated |70 in Fig. 2. By the duplication occurring in the machine of Fig. 5, an efficient type of over-all operation of the machinery is provided.

It will beobvious from Fig. 5 that the intermediate fabric elementsl Htl carried by the inner? most of the openings ME] will be located in the mold supported upon the plate M6, while' those which are carried in the outer opening li will enter the mold carried by the plate M8. This ties up with the arrangement of the openings which provides a complete use of the strip material without was-te.

It will be clear that various changes may be made in the specic embodiment of the invention without departing from the: spirit thereof as dcned in the following claims.

stepped about by the These movements I;

mold as compared Instead of forming the rim and hub of separate pieces, single pieces may serve, these pieces being as indicated at |74 and formed by a. die such as |72. Such pieces may be assembled in a mechanism similar to that already described, the pieces being overlapped as shown in the application of John M. Taylor, Ser. No. 700,542, led Dec. 1, 1933, which issued November 24, 1936, as Patent 2,061,815.

What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. Means for assembling `pieces lof sheet material in a mold including means for intermittently feeding a weby of said material, means for cutting pieces from said web, means for receiving the cut pieces` and locating them adjacent the mold, means for removing the cut pieces from the last named means and entering them within the mol and means for intermittently moving the mold and said means for receiving the cut pieces whereby the pieces are located in overlapping relationship therein.

2. Means for assembling pieces of sheet material in a mold including means for intermittently feeding a web of said material, means for cutting pieces from said web means for receiving the cut pieces and locating them adjacent the mold, reciprocating means for removing cut pieces from said receiving means and bottoming the cut pieces within the mold, and means for intermittently movingthe mold whereby the pieces are located in overlapping relationship therein.

3. Means for assembling piecesI of sheet material in a mold including means. for cutting the pieces from` a web, means for transporting the pieces fromy the locus of the cutting means to a position adjacent the mold, and means for entering them within the mold.

4. Means for assembling pieces of sheet material in a mold including means for transporting the pieces to a position adjacent the mold,

and means for removing the pieces from the last named means and entering them Within the 5 mold.

5. Means for assembling pieces of sheet material in a` mold including means for transporting the pieces to a position adjacent the mold,

means for removing the pieces from the last named means and entering them Within the mold, and means for intermittently moving the l mold in timed relation means whereby the with said transporting pieces are located in overlapping relationship therein.

6. Means for terial vided with openings in Within the mold.

assembling pieces of sheet main a mold including a rotating turret pro- Which the pieces are removably held, and means the pieces from the turret for forcibly removing and locating them 7. Means for assembling pieces of sheet material in a mold including means tently feeding a Web of for intermitsaid material, means for cutting pieces of predetermined shape from said web, a rotatable ture of the shape member provided with an aperoi said pieces, said member being arranged with relation to said cutting means to receive pieces in said aperture, means for retaining pieces' Within the aperture in said ro- V tatable member and me ans for rotating said rotatable member to position the aperture therein adjacent to the cutting of pieces and to position means for the reception the aperture therein adjacent to the mold and means for removing pieces from said aperture and entering them in the mold.

8. Means for assembling pieces of sheet material in a mold including means for intermittently feeding a web of said material, means for cutting pieces from said web, means for receiving the cut pieces and locating them adjacent the mold, friotionally controlled means for removing the cut pieces from the last named means and entering them Within said mold, and means for intermittently moving the mold whereby the pieces are located in overlapping relationship therein.

9. Means for assembling pieces of sheet material in a mold including means for cutting the pieces from a Web, means for transporting the pieces to a position adjacent the mold, and frictionally controlled means for entering them Within the mold.

1G. Means for assembling pieces of sheet material in a mold including means for intermittently feeding a web of said material, means for cutting pieces from said Web, means for receiving cut pieces and locating them adjacent the mold, means for removing the cut pieces from the last named means and entering them Within the mold, and means for intermittently rotating the mold and the said means for receiving out pieces whereby the pieces are located in overlapping relationship in the mold.

CLIFTON N. JACOBS. 

